


Milk and Cookies

by ofgodsandstars



Series: The Soulmate Series [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Bang Chan is Whipped, Boys In Love, ChanLix, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Cute Ending, Developing Relationship, Domestic, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Drama & Romance, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy Ending, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gay, Gen, Happy Ending, Hugs, Humor, LGBTQ Themes, Lee Felix is Whipped (Stray Kids), Love, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, M/M, Making Out, Marriage Proposal, Meet-Cute, Other, Public Display of Affection, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Short & Sweet, Soft Bang Chan, Soft Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Some Humor, Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29460492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofgodsandstars/pseuds/ofgodsandstars
Summary: Felix is a stressed out, budding fashion designer looking for inspiration for his debut collection, and Chan is a handsome stranger who happens to wander into the cafe with eyes so warm and fuzzy that Felix finds that there is living art in front of him.TL:DR Felix and Chan are a pair of dorks who cannot flirt for the life of them.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix
Series: The Soulmate Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198091
Comments: 36
Kudos: 218
Collections: Chanlix





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was based off of a request on Twitter after Chan's vlive, and I was feeling particularly soft so I thought, how about something really wholesome and cute?  
> Intended as a drabble so there might be maybe 2 or 3 chapters of their budding romance :3

It was early, WAY too early in the morning for Felix to be awake for anything, especially on a Saturday. Yet here he was, huddled up in a corner of one of his favourite cafes, with a mug of steaming cocoa in front of him and a plate of very artsy avocado toast - a good distraction from the open laptop in front of him and the pads of paper and pencils that lay scattered on his table.

His designs were due by evening today for the team of dress-makers to actually put it together in time. His first fashion show was only a few weeks away and he was already biting it very close to the deadline for his collection to come to fruition, and currently, he only had half of his collection done. 

He groaned, slumping against his seat as he lazily stirred his cocoa, his stomach growling but his guilt and worry killing his appetite at the same time. Why was he such a procrastinator? Why couldn't he be efficient enough to get stuff done WITHOUT waiting for the very day before. 

With a sigh, he raised the mug to his lips, sipping at the comforting warmth that slipped between his lips. College had been like this too, where he started assignments literally an hour before deadline. For someone as risk-averse as he was, this was what he considered living on the edge. 

Hours passed until it was somewhere around late afternoon. Scattered around his feet were crumpled up pieces of paper that he was sure some waiter was going to get pissed off about. He'd already been through a cup of cocoa, avo toast and a couple of brownies, and was now stress-eating a donut. In the time that had elapsed he has managed to finish just 2 designs, and he had at least 4 more to go. 

His collection was centred around warm, earthy tones, and Felix had always had this knack for gathering inspiration from the most mundane of things. An odd pattern on a bed sheet, a mark on the wall; his mind was creative in that way. 

He'd had his eyes trained on some wood paneling on the far wall opposite him (with absolutely no inspiration seeping into his head), when he was distracted by a cheerful voice at the counter. The cafe was quiet and empty for the most part, with just a few people and couples dotted around at random sections, so over the soft bedroom pop that played over the speakers, the man who walked in was a welcome change of scenery.

Felix could only see his back, his mop of hair which was somewhere between blond and some other colour (strawberry blond, he finally decided) and the big black backpack slung over his shoulders. He could hear him greet the barista cheerfully as he placed his order, and noted that he had a soft accent and a pleasant lilt to his words. 

It was only when the man turned around that Felix got a good look at him, and once he did, he couldnt take his eyes off of him. He had the ghost of a smile still painted on his strawberry lips as he walked away from the barista and settled down in a seat that was perfectly in Felix's line of vision, not too many tables away from him.

He had the kind of soft eyes that reminded Felix of milk and cookies, the kind of gentle safety and warmth that one would find in the comfort of a pillow fort in their living room - that was the kind of vibe that this stranger seemed to exude. 

Felix found himself stealing one too many glances at him, feeling himself blush ever so slightly at the thought of speaking to the attractive stranger with the familiar Australian accent. He was tapping away at a keyboard, looking a lot more relaxed than Felix had felt his entire time at the cafe. 

And that was when Felix found himself finding this newfound sense of inspiration in this man - the way something on his laptop gave off a warm, orangey glow against his pale skin, perfectly wrapped up with his hair that couldnt decide what colour it wanted to be.

Gold, Felix thought. What about a gold-centric outfit?

And just like that, Felix started furiously sketching out an entire outfit with quick glances up at the man, as if afraid the image of inspiration would disappear from memory. He'd just finished sketching out a beautiful gown when he'd looked up and noticed the man now looking at him. 

Shit. 

He'd probably noticed how often Felix kept looking at him and probably thought he was a creep. Should he smile? Should he apologise? Should he introduce himself? Should he bolt and leave everything behind and pretend that this whole day never existed as he turned into a puddle out of embarrassment?

His body was sort of on autopilot, so before he could register what he was doing, he waved.

Fucking. Waved. 

Honestly he could have hit himself for doing that. 

But the strawberry-blond man only giggled and winked at Felix, or rather, attempted to wink. Instead of pulling off a suave, confident wink, the man promptly shut both his eyes, giving Felix a very vigorous blink rather than anything else. 

As if immediately realising what he had done, the man collapsed into embarrassed giggles, covering his face with his hands. 

He was fucking ADORABLE.

And Felix could feel his heart melt, all mushy like the milk and cookies that he'd first thought of when he saw the guy. Felix grinned and slowly slid out of his seat, finding some confidence as he walked over to the strawberry-blond's seat.

"I'm sorry," the man giggled at him as he looked up. He really did have those big brown puppy dog eyes. "I guess that wasn't as smooth as I thought it was going to be."

"Clearly I wasn't either," Felix grinned. "I'm guessing you saw me staring but honestly, I can explain!"

"This would normally be the point we introduce ourselves, right?"

Felix almost died of embarrassment for the second time that day. 

"Oh fu- yes, yes I'm Felix, hi," he gave a small wave, although he was standing right in front of the man now.

Jeez Felix, stop with the fucking waves already what's WRONG with you?

But the strawberry-blond mustve found it cute, because there came that melodious giggle again. "I'm Chan," he said, stretching out his hand. "Nice to meet you Felix."

Fuck his name rolled so prettily off this man's tongue. 

"So you were going to explain why you were checking me out?" He raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh yes, that, well, see I'm a designer and- wait no I wasn't checking you out!"

Chan pouted playfully and Felix could feel his body heat up with how flustered he was. "I mean, I was checking you out but, I was also watching you."

"Watching me?" He raised his eyebrow again.

"No, fuck that came out wrong. I mean, I'm a designer and I have a collection I'm supposed to release in a few weeks for a show, and I need inspiration for my clothes-"

Chan looked down at his plain black hoodie in confusion. "And hoodies inspire you?"

"No, you inspired me."

Chan's eyes widened, an amused smile playing on his lips, while Felix put his head in his hands and slid into the seat in front of him. Chan chuckled and closed the lid of his laptop, peering at Felix through his eyelashes while he waited for the boy to stop blushing and covering his face. 

"What I meant," Felix enunciated slowly, careful to not make eye contact and lose the plot again, "was that I draw inspiration from tiny details, and the warm glow of your laptop against your features gave me a bit of inspiration for a gown I'm designing."

"Wow, Felix, you're sure you're a designer and not a poet?"

Felix giggled at the teasing, half embarrassed and half sure that his attraction to the man might be reciprocated.

"Says the one flirting with me," he teased back, immediately startled by his own confidence. 

"Well at least I wasn't the one who was staring at the 'warm glow against my features' huh?"

"At least I didn't try to look sexy with a wink that backfired completely." 

"You found it cute though," Chan teased, tilting his head to the side as he looked at Felix. 

He really did have such milk and cookie eyes. 

"Milk and cookie eyes?" Chan blinked, confused, yet amused. 

Felix couldn't believe he'd actually said that out loud. He clapped his hand over his mouth, now FULLY wishing he could just melt into a puddle of embarrassment. 

"Tell you what," Chan smiled, a glow of soft pastel pink spreading across his nose and cheeks - clearly he was more shy than he let on. "How about you finish your designs, and then let me take you out for dinner, so that you can elaborate on how someone could have milk and cookie eyes?" 

Well, that went better than expected. 

"There is a nice garden restaurant that I've been meaning to check out that's opened recently," Felix began shyly.

"If you're referring to Le Jardin, that's exactly where I was thinking of taking you. A dinner under the stars is pretty romantic."

"You're already thinking of romancing me even before our date has begun?" Felix teased.

"I'm going to take that as a yes. To the date, I mean." He rushed to clarify. 

"You're really nowhere as smooth as you think you are."

"Neither are you, but you're cute so you can get away with it."

"Oh so the compliments have already started then, casanova?" 

Chan laughed at that, shaking his head as he reached out to gently tap Felix's hand. "I can stick around until you're done, then we can leave together? Is that ok?"

"That's perfect." Felix grinned. "I might take a few hours though, is that alright?"

"I have time," Chan smiled, before Felix grinned again in return and absently picked up Chan's drink in his excitement as he went back over to his own seat, only to realise about 10 seconds later and then for both him and Chan to collapse into laughter. 

He couldn't wait for tonight. In a way, maybe procrastination had been a good thing.


	2. Chasing Sunsets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix blushed, and goddamn Chan was sure the boy was born out of the sky itself because with the gentle glow of the sun and his pink cheeks, he really did look like the horizon was painted on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand the gentle chaos between these two hopeless boys continues and blossoms into something quite beautiful actually.
> 
> I loved writing this chapter because it is just so WHOLESOME and I absolutely LIVE for the sweet, gentle kind of blossoming affection that is just soft and cute. 
> 
> Also the two songs mentioned are Fly to My Room by BTS (one of my faves) and the untitled one is a beautiful song called For Aisha by MEMBA and EVAN GIIA. It suits the scene really well so listen to the songs while reading it if you like, it feels some typa way :') 
> 
> Anyway enjoy these two lovebirds!

Felix wrapped up the finishing touches to his collection well before the deadline, sending the sketches through to the team of dress makers before closing his laptop with a sigh, settling back against the comfy cushion of his seat.  
It was only when Chan approached him, hands in the pockets of his black hoodie, did Felix perk up, instantly blushing under the warm gaze of the other man.

"I hope you haven't changed your mind," Chan said shyly, causing Felix to stumble over his words while his cheeks grew warm in an effort to reassure the man while shoving his stuff into his bag. He was in such a rush that he stumbled over his own feet and fell straight against Chan's chest, hands gripping the other man's shoulders. 

"Eager I see," Chan smirked at him, and honestly, it was so attractive that Felix thought he could ascend then and there. 

Chan had a car of his own, and the two of them hopped in, making comfortable conversation with each other as the sun overhead lazily stretched out and darkened, going from the bright glow of afternoon to that of a soft early evening. 

Chan asked about Felix's career, what made him get into fashion design, when the showcasing was, what his inspirations were, what designs were going to be featured in his collection. He sounded genuinely interested, it wasnt like he was asking just to make small talk, he really wanted to know. 

Felix was normally very reserved about things he was passionate about. He had a very vibrant, bubbly personality, and had a tendency to gush about things that made him happy the same way a little kid would about a cartoon they liked or a new toy they'd recieved. 

He'd always felt embarrassed after gushing about a new song he liked or the way sunset looked through tinted glass. He saw beauty and art in everything but came to understand that not everyone saw the world in as many colours and sounds as he did. Some people existed plainly in shades of beige and grey but Felix's world was an entire rainbow - so not everyone understood his enthusiasm.

So he stuttered at first, "I just kind of fell into studying a design course, you know? I was 17 and didn't know what to do with my life and design just seemed kind of interesting." 

But Chan nodded enthusiastically, pausing every now and then at a traffic jam or a stop light to turn and watch Felix as he spoke, encouraging him, exclaiming here and there, asking questions and urging him on to speak more. 

And just like that, Felix unwound, grew more comfortable, and started gushing and going on and on about his favourite designs, some outfits he'd designed and kept in a folder from his uni days that he can finally bring to life now as a qualified designer. 

"It's this gorgeous blue dress, sort of a turquoise with ruffled sleeves but it's sort of this fabric which is soft and not as stiff as taffeta so the curves in the silk flow alot more lightly! The inspiration for it was after I went on this trip and I saw this waterfall and the way the water crashed down against the rocks inspired the ruffles of the sleeves," he rattled on at a stoplight, not even realising that he hadn't taken a breath as his hands moved animatedly to express his point.

It was only when he drew his eyes away from the road and turned to his companion that he saw Chan, with one elbow propped up against the window, his head resting in his hand, and his other one on the steering wheel, watching Felix talk with a fond little smile on his face.

And immediately Felix blushed and stopped talking. "Sorry I," he trailed off. "I get a little carried away sometimes."

"Why are you apologising?" 

"Coz I talk alot."

"It's cute."

"It- it is?" The light turned green and Chan turned away to focus on the road again. "I always thought it was..." he played with the rings on his fingers absently, "kinda cringe? Kinda annoying? Coz I ramble..."

He trailed off again, his heart pounding just a tiny bit, unsure of whether he'd been right in opening up just a tad. After all, he'd just met Chan today and he was a very warm person, but that was only at first glance. What if Felix had just made himself look needy?

"There's nothing, absolutely nothing," Chan said, emphasising on the second 'nothing', "that is cringe or annoying about you talking about your passions." He smiled lightly and Felix noticed the little crinkles in the corners of his eyes. "You should see the way your face lights up when you do."

It may have seemed like something tiny, but Felix's heart soared. It felt oddly comforting, oddly reassuring to hear that maybe, how he was perceived was nicer than how he thought. 

He asked Chan about his hobbies, his passions and his career. Chan was a few years older than him, and was a photographer, and after having spoken about some of his work, Felix realised he'd seen quite a bit of Chan's photography all over the media. He realised they had something in common about how they saw the world. Just like Felix, Chan's world was an entire rainbow too. 

They pulled into the parking lot of Le Jardin just as sunset had begun to burn the edges of the clouds in a shade of orange so bright they could almost taste it.

Like a true gentleman, Chan hurried out of his seat to open the door for Felix as the two of them walked towards the restaurant. It was a slightly fancy place, not quite a cafe, not quite an upmarket venue either - just somewhere right in the middle. Felix was dressed for it, as a fashion designer he was always dressed for any occasion, like how he was now with his cream turtleneck sweater matched with latte coloured pants. Chan was just in a black hoodie and black jeans with his curly hair all messed up, and Felix realised they really did look like that typical couple aesthetic where one looked exceptionally soft and the other looked very grunge. Although Chan's personality wasn't grunge; he was like caramel cream disguised as wasabi.

The woman at the reception smiled pleasantly at them. "Reservation please?"

Chan froze and looked at Felix. Felix froze and looked at Chan.

"Uh," They started, and Chan continued. "We don't....have one? I didn't know we had to make a reservation."

The lady grimaced. "I'm sorry but we only take in guests on reservations. We're fully booked tonight."

Stumbling over rushed and embarrassed apologies, they made it back to the car, Chan's feet slowing down the closer that they got as he rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to make eye contact as his voice dropped shyly and apologetically. "I'm so sorry," he said, eyes directed at the ground. "I didn't know I had to make a reservation I assumed you could just walk in I- I'm sorry i got your hopes up like that." He covered his face with his hands and Felix now noted that it was what he did when he was embarrassed. "Ugh I should've called," he whined. 

Felix noticed that he had little sweater paws, and he looked devastatingly cute. He also noticed that the sun hadnt completely set yet, and had an idea. With a burst of confidence that came from....he honestly didn't know where, he walked up to Chan and gently pulled his forearm down.

"Mind if I drive?" He asked with a smile. "The night has barely begun after all, and I still haven't told you about your milk and cookie eyes."

Chan pursed his lips nervously, but his eyes smiled, and he nodded. Felix climbed into the driver's seat, with Chan still mumbling shy little apologies about the botched date and Felix insisting that it was ok.

By the time they were cruising down the road again, they'd managed to make the whole thing a joke.

"We're terrible at flirting, aren't we?" Felix giggled as Chan connected his phone to the aux and the opening notes of a song on his shuffled playlist started. 

"Just flirting?" Chan laughed, "I couldn't even take you on the date I promised!" 

Felix grinned as he turned the volume up; it was a song he really liked - Fly to My Room by BTS, and rolled the shutters down as they now hit an open stretch of road where all the buildings were pretty short and low, allowing for the mosaic of a blossoming sunset to fully reign across the skies. 

"Well," Felix said as he rested his elbow against the open shutter with his head in his hand and one on the wheel as the wind swept through his silky blond hair, "I guess I'm gonna have to take YOU on a date to show you how it's done huh?" 

He spared a glance at Chan, smirking playfully as the other man leaned back in his seat, his eyes glittering with excitement. 

The open stretch of road fell onto an old highway that was barely visited anymore after a new one had been built recently, and it was one of those secret little spots that only a few people knew about, like Felix, who visited whenever he needed quiet inspiration. 

Chan stuck his head and arm out the window as the breeze washed over him, with Felix singing along to the music in the background, fondly sparing glances at Chan who clearly seemed to be enjoying this simple little drive. 

Soon they were driving down a long road lined with trees on both sides, with the dulled glow of the lazy 5.30pm sun dropping through the trees like dusky semi precious stones that only shone at the right angle. The song faded out into another one, the music echoing loudly through the car and the lyrics oddly perfect for the moment.

~ Is this all it's gonna be?  
Gold dust shimmers on my feet ~

Chan whipped his phone out and began to video the pretty scenery around him, the green foliage letting little drops of sunlight through like natural lattice work, the stretch of tree lined road ahead, Felix glowing like a soft sunset himself at the wheel of the car with a smile that could've honestly put the sun to shame, all while the song played in the background like an indie music video. 

Unlike Felix who tended to curb his enthusiasm for his passions, Chan was unapologetic. It was a nice balance. 

They finally stopped where the road became a bridge over a huge lake, the bridge itself lined with trees and nothing else on the horizon except the lake, the greenery and the sunset, now in full bloom.

"Here we are," Felix said, unbuckling his seatbelt, while Chan had already hopped out in his excitement, peering over the sturdy, thick concrete railing of the bridge at the view in front of him.

"Its beautiful," he breathed, as Felix came up to lean his elbows against the railing next to him. 

"Right? It's barely visited, almost a completely abandoned spot but it's so underrated," Felix agreed, a little bit more caught up by how wide Chan's smile was. 

Chan slowly turned to face Felix, a soft smile on his face as Felix continued. "I wanted to get us here in time for the sunset," he said. "The sky is just so...open here." 

"I guess it's a good thing I messed up with the reservation then."

"Oh no I'm not letting you off the hook that easy! I expect you to take this as a lesson for our next date."

"So there's already a 'next date'?" 

Felix snorted. "Yeah I mean, you need the practise." He shrugged. "Guess you're just going to have to take me on dates until you get the hang of it."

Chan shifted his body to face Felix fully now, a smirk playing on his lips. "And if you're not satisfied?"

"Well then I'm just going to have to keep showing you how to get it right."

Chan laughed, his head cocked to a side as he stared at Felix affectionately, "You're cute."

Felix blushed, and goddamn Chan was sure the boy was born out of the sky itself because with the gentle glow of the sun and his pink cheeks, he really did look like the horizon was painted on his face. 

"Do you, um," Chan suddenly got shy again, fingers twisting in his sweater paws as Felix looked at him expectantly. "Do you mind if I took a picture of you? You just...you look really pretty right now. I mean, it's ok if you're uncomfortable and I dont wanna be creepy or anything but like, I just like taking photos of things I find beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Felix raised an eyebrow, and it was Chan's turn to blush.

They really were a mess around each other. 

"Of course you can take a picture," Felix beamed before he could answer. "Maybe I can use it for my official portfolio, you are a professional photographer after all."

That was all Chan needed to hear. He whipped out his camera, guaged the lighting and the right kind of angle, and snapped a photograph. Maybe, he thought to himself with a small smile, if this worked out, he could get it made into a cute little Polaroid someday. 

Afterwards, the two of them leaned back against the bonnet of the car, discussing anything and everything that came to mind. The flow of conversation was easy despite their clumsy flirting, with Chan telling Felix all about his little interests; constellations, mythology, history, and with Felix talking about his; sunsets, niche spots that only he knew of, travelling to quaint little cities and towns, and how much he wanted to go to Italy (Chan had been there, and told him it was just as beautiful as it seemed and had some pictures if Felix would like to see.)

The sky soon changed from pinks and oranges to a darkening purple and Chan quite literally heard Felix's stomach growl during a badly chosen moment of silence between them, to which they both burst out laughing. Chan hopped off the hood of the car, giving Felix a hand as he slid down as well.

"Let's get you some dinner, I know a spot."

"Don't tell me it's Le Jardin, I can't stand to have my heart broken twice in one day," Felix teased, dramatically laying his hand over his chest. 

"Well, maybe not as fancy," he said, sliding into the driver's seat now. "But I promised you a dinner under the stars, and that's what you're going to get."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's the first part of their date, now its Chan's turn to (attempt) to woo Felix, and that's in the next chapter!  
> Lmao this story may turn out to be longer than I expected :3


	3. Crêpes and Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a sweet moment, Felix's hand comfortably in Chan's as they drove past the highway and towards the beach as the clear sky allowed the stars to shine in all their glamour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in love with writing this story I'm literally smiling the whole time as I write it. Not @ me projecting all my desires in a relationship on to Chan and Felix in this story lmao
> 
> Anyway enjoy! There's maybe 1 or 2 more chapters until this story is done. I'm gonna end it in the most hecking cute way hehe I'm excited. 
> 
> ENJOY!

The sun had long dipped beneath the horizon when Chan and Felix were back on open road again. The sky was now a chalky black canvas and the glimmering lights of the city skyline were as beautiful as the shy stars that were slowly making their appearance in the sky; almost like twinkling performers stepping out from behind a dark velvet curtain. 

They would've enjoyed it a lot more if Chan hadn't got slightly lost trying to get back on to the main road.

Of course, Felix had been the one to take them to this quiet little spot, so he was the one who knew the way back and forth. Between conversation and jokes and laughter, Chan had tried to keep it a secret for the longest time - the fact that he had no clue where they were. 

Yet he kept driving around and around in circles, getting progressively more lost as Felix watched him, amused, more than aware the Chan had no idea where he was going but curious to see when he'd admit it. 

It mustve been about the fourth time that they'd passed the same bridge when Chan swore quietly under his breath and pulled out his phone to pull up Google Maps. Felix still watched him, a little smile playing on his lips as Chan adamantly tried to find his way back on his own. 

They ended up passing the bridge for the fifth time when Chan whined and Felix finally burst out laughing.

"So at what point were you going to ask me for the route back to the main road?" Felix teased, to which Chan thumped his head against the wheel, opening one eye and peeking at Felix with an embarrassed smile on his face. 

"And at what point are you going to consider this the messiest date in history?" Chan pouted apologetically.

They were parked under a line of trees (and if Chan's bearings were a bit better he would've noticed it was the route they'd taken to come here) and the moonlight had now replaced the little fractals of light that the sun had proffered earlier that day. 

Felix reached out and tousled Chan's already messy strawberry blond curls. "Continue on this road, go straight and then take a LEFT turn at the intersection. You got confused and went right about 5 times." 

When they were finally out of the woods, Chan breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back against the seat as the main highway stretched in front of them. It was Felix's turn with the aux now, and his taste was a little bit more RnB, turning on one of his favourites by The Weeknd - Reminder. 

"Oh I love this song!" Chan exclaimed as he drummed a little beat against the steering wheel. There was a comfortable silence between them until the chorus hit and both of them sang along, their voices actually blending quite nicely together. Felix's voice was full of bass, mellowing out Chan's slightly higher, lighter tone.

Somewhere along the line, Felix was singing extra passionately, goofing off with Chan and dramatically clenching his fists near his chest as he belted out the notes of the song while Chan giggled, joining in on his silliness.

And somewhere along the line, he dropped his little fists, resting his elbow on the divider between the two seats, his hand dangling close to Chan. 

Somewhere along the line, Chan noted how tiny his hands were, and how close they were to his own hand, the one which wasn't on the steering wheel. Slowly, shyly, Felix dropped his hand to meet Chan's, playing coy like it was an accident, his fingertips brushing against Chan's knuckles. Smiling to himself, Chan slotted Felix's fingers between his own, his thumb grazing ever so slightly over his knuckles. 

When one of them was shy, the other was confident, sort of like a balanced relay that kept bouncing between the two of them.

It was a sweet moment, Felix's hand comfortably in Chan's as they drove past the highway and towards the beach as the clear sky allowed the stars to shine in all their glamour. 

That was until Felix's playlist decided to play "Or Nah" by The Weeknd next, with Felix yelping and jumping to grab his phone while Chan laughed at how frantically Felix tried to change the song before the lyrics got even more suggestive. 

♡

Felix had always loved the beach, especially the one in their city, with its little beach shacks and washed out wooden tables and chairs set up closer to the roadside. Little fairy lights strung up between trees and over the faded nameboards of the beach cafes, with food trucks lining the side of the pavement and delicious sweet and savoury smells wafting out into the night.

Chan wound Felix's arm through his, fingers intertwined as Felix snuggled up a little bit closer to him to stay warm in the chilly ocean air. Chan turned to Felix with a glimmer in his eye, "want to run along the shore?"

Felix met his look with a mischievous smile of his own, before sprinting off towards the water, pulling Chan behind him. They were careful only to stick to the shore where the waves had already broken down and the foam tickled their toes (they'd kicked off their shoes and socks before running towards the water - they hoped they'd be able to find them later!)

The night was alive with the faint music and dulled out, yet hearty conversation coming from the beach shacks, the sound of the waves tossing and turning and the delighted shrieks and laughs coming from Chan and Felix as they ran along the shoreline, waves soaking the bottom of their pants as they pulled and pushed each other playfully, only to fall back bashfully into each other's arms. 

With smiles as bright as the moon above, they swayed in each other's arms to the orchestra of the ocean while the water kissed their skin; arms looped around each other's waists. 

"Thank you for tonight," Felix beamed, pulling Chan a little closer. "This is miles better than a dinner in a stuffy restaurant." 

Chan fought the urge to lean forward and kiss the tip of Felix's nose - no, it was too early for that. Instead, he gave his waist a small squeeze. "You saved the date, to be honest. The little sunset trip was your idea."

"The beach was yours." 

Chan chuckled. "It's not over yet, you still haven't told me about my milk and cookie eyes." 

There was a food truck selling crêpes by the roadside, so after rolling up the soaked material of their trousers to their knees and hunting for their shoes (Chan had lost a sock), they went up to the food truck to get some dinner. 

With a Nutella and strawberry crêpe in Felix's hand, (despite Chan asking him a thousand times if he was sure he wanted something sweet for dinner), a roast beef one in Chan's and a huge portion of fries between them, they plopped themselves on to the sand and munched away hungrily. 

They'd polished off their dinner and were lazily feeding each other the remaining fries when Chan gave Felix a pointed look. "Well?"

Felix readied himself to explain, looking away shyly at first, but then making himself look straight into Chan's eyes, so that he could explain exactly how he felt, looking into those pretty little halos of brown as he did. 

"Imagine," he started, "a pillow fort in your living room, golden hour sun seeping in through the windows. Imagine you've had a particularly rough day, and you're feeling a bit tired, a bit drained, a bit run down and emotional maybe."

Despite the low light, Felix could see Chan's cheeks starting to colour, especially while Felix maintained eye contact the whole time. 

"Now imagine snuggling up in a blanket inside your pillow fort, maybe you've got your favourite hoodie on, lo-fi music in the background, and a glass of warm milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in front of you." 

The blush deepened. 

"It would make you feel at home, right? Warm, comfortable, and safe. That's..." Felix finally looked away. "That's what I meant. Your eyes remind me of those little milk and cookie moments that you have as a kid sometimes. Maybe that's because...." he turned away, blushing. "Nah it's kinda stupid actually."

"No, no," Chan said, reaching forward and turning Felix's head to face him. "No it's not I mean, it's actually really cute. Did you practise this or something?"

Felix giggled, swatting at his arm playfully. "I didnt!"

"What were you going to say though?"

Another look into Chan's eyes. Another beat of soft silence. 

"You have very kind eyes. I'd always been told you can tell a lot about a person from their eyes, and I guess it kinda says alot about who you are. I know I've only just met you but, you just seem like that sort of person. Kind. Warm. Safe."

A slow, but wide smile grew across Chan's face as he squeezed Felix's hand that was within his own, before releasing it and wrapping his arm around Felix, but not even going in for a hug unless Felix initiated it.

And he did, leaning his head against Chan's shoulder as he snuggled against his side, while Chan pulled him closer and hugged him. Neither of them realised they'd squashed the box of French fries that were between them. That was okay for now. 

Chan cautiously placed a kiss on the top of Felix's head, earning him a barely audible giggle and a pair of eyes looking up at him, shimmering like the jewel encrusted sky above them.

"You wanna know what your eyes remind me of?" Chan's voice was just above a whisper, with Felix responding with an emphatic nod. 

Chan chuckled, kissing the top of his head again since he seemed to like it so much. "Let me take you out for dinner some time next week and I'll tell you then." 

Felix pouted. "You don't want to meet me sooner?"

"Do you want me to meet you sooner?"

"What do you think!" 

Chan grinned, "breakfast tomorrow then?" 

"I like waffles. There's a really good waffle place that I know, they have the absolute FLUFFIEST waffles!" Felix had moved away from Chan's chest to enthusiastically explain how fluffy the waffles were, with Chan laughing along to how excited Felix got over the smallest things. 

"Waffles tomorrow it is then," Chan chuckled, both Felix's hands within his own now while the other man beamed, unexpectedly leaning in to place a kiss against Chan's cheek. "Since you paid today, I'll take care of breakfast tomorrow."

"What, no! I'm supposed to be taking YOU out for breakfast!" Chan argued (playfully). 

"No I'm taking YOU out for breakfast. Technically you took me on a date tonight, so I'm taking you on a date tomorrow!"

"Felix, just let me buy you your fluffy waffles." 

"Do you realise we've squashed the fries?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Chan if you don't stop, I'll MAKE you shut up." 

"With the squashed fries or tomorrow's fluffy waffles? Which I'm treating you to, by the way."

"One more word Chan, I'm warning you."

"And how exactly do you pla-"

To answer his (unfinished) question, Felix planned on shutting him up by leaning forward and enveloping Chan's soft lips between his own. It would have been very smooth, if not for the fact that Felix's cockiness lasted all of two seconds before he started giggling into the kiss, only to have Chan giggle along with him before softly cradling his face in his hands and kissing him back gently. 

It was a sweet, smiley kiss. One that both of them sank into with ease. It wasn't always that you'd click with someone so well on your first date, it wasn't always that you'd feel so comfortable and so goofy and silly around them, it wasn't always that you'd share your first kiss with them with sand clinging to your clothes and feet and a box of fries smashed between the two of you. 

But it just felt so natural to Chan and Felix, as if they were simply just meant to meet, wrapped up in their own little world of milk and cookie eyes and forgotten reservations and sunset drives and crêpes under the stars. Maybe romance wasn't a fairytale after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like, in my country, we actually have a road that runs parallel to the beach and along the pavement there are all these food trucks and one of my faves is this truck that sells crêpes so that's where the inspo for that comes from 😂 
> 
> As an island, we have a ton of beach front cafes and restaurants that are strewn with fairy lights and it's so pretty so that's where the beach part of it came from too :3 I also went to the beach at night a couple days ago so the memory is pretty fresh, hence the content for the story.
> 
> Until next time!


	4. Milk and Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither one of them would've exchanged this for the world. They were each other's home, each other's warmth and each other's safe place,
> 
> Each other's milk and cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the final chapter! 🥺 I legit got so emotional writing this one, writing how their relationship progressed. 
> 
> Side note, I know alot of us have been exposed or been involved in toxic relationships, and although this fic is just for fun, I still want to pass on the message that healthy, loving, functional relationships do exist. Amidst all the fluff and love here, are also lessons that I've learnt on what makes a relationship actually work.
> 
> I hope that for anyone out there who may have lost a little bit of faith in love, that this fic helps you to regain a little bit of hope :')

As promised, Felix and Chan had met up the very next morning for a breakfast date of waffles at a very cute cafe, with walls the colour of chantilly cream and furniture the colour of milk coffee. They had sat together at a table in the front, Felix looking impeccable as usual in his stylish getup of oak brown, with Chan in a cream shirt and jeans, both of them almost matching the decor of the earthy toned, pastel themed cafe. 

Over cups of hazelnut coffee and the fluffy waffles that Felix couldn't and WOULDN'T stop gushing over, the pair talked about their date the night before, laughed about the most random of things and talked until the morning sun rose into noon, their conversation punctuated by feather light kisses laid upon each others knuckles.

Felix noticed that Chan had straightened his hair today.

Chan noticed that Felix was wearing studs in his ears with little amber jewels. 

As they'd argued the night before, Felix paid for breakfast, jumping at the bill the moment Chan had gone to the washroom, only to have him come back and insist on Felix letting him buy him at least a muffin for takeaway. 

They compromised - Felix wanted a kiss instead of a muffin, and Chan was more than happy to oblige. 

It was the first of a long line of dates, all equally as whimsical and soft as their first and second dates had been. Chan took Felix to the museum once and spent more time watching Felix run excitedly behind the different pieces of art than actually admiring the work itself. Felix surprised Chan once with a visit to the planetarium and could have sworn that the look in Chan's eyes rivalled even that of the most beautiful nebula. 

Chan was at every single one of Felix's showcasings, and whenever Chan was at an event, Felix made it a point to be there. This was of course, if their schedules allowed it ; they both had careers devoted to creativity and art, and had learnt to understand each other's busy schedules and need for space. 

It had been at one particular showcasing, 4 months into their relationship, that Chan had come on board as the official photographer for the event and both of them couldn't have been prouder of the other. Felix's debut line had made some serious waves in the fashion world and the name Lee Felix was starting to get popular. The star attraction at each show had always been the gold evening gown that he'd designed that one quiet day at the cafeteria; the dress he'd designed after seeing Chan for the first time.

Chan had captured the gown, Felix, and the entire lineup in all its glory, running into Felix's arms after the whole event had wound up to a close followed by wine and a very mellow after party.

"I'm so proud of you!" Chan had exclaimed, his voice muffled into Felix's shoulder as he hugged him tight. 

"Thank you baby," Felix had smiled, pulling away only to bring his boyfriend's face in closer to his so that he could press a loving kiss to his lips. "I can't believe we're both here together, I'm so happy that everyone will see how talented you are with your photography as well!"

"You were the star of the show today, hon," Chan smiled at him warmly, brushing a few strands of hair out of his face. 

"Give yourself some credit!" Felix chided, "you're an amazing photographer!" 

Chan only laughed, humble as ever, finding a glass of wine for both himself and Felix as they both walked around the room, networking with people who complimented both of them on their work.

Felix had grown bored of the overly formal affair and had dragged Chan to a rooftop that was empty at that moment, with nothing but the skyline of the city as a backdrop against a dark sky that bled into purple the closer it was to the tips of the twinkling skyscrapers. 

They'd placed their glasses of wine on the ledge that Felix leaned on while Chan wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, nuzzling into his neck, enjoying nothing more than the view, the breeze and each other's warmth and company.

"I'm so glad I met you," Felix said suddenly, leaning back into Chan as his hands lay atop of his. "I'm glad you walked into that cafe that morning. None of this would've been as beautiful without you."

"Hey, hey," Chan said softly, "of course it would've babe, you would've been proud of yourself with or without me."

Felix hummed. "But I wouldnt be standing on a rooftop with a glass of wine and the love of my life now, would I?"

Chan's heart skipped a beat. They'd been together for 4 months but both of them took the word 'love' very seriously. Before tonight, neither one of them had said it before. 

"I'm the what now?"

Felix turned around, palms on Chan's chest as he peered into the pair of eyes he knew he had come to love, feeling equal parts nervous and excited. "The love of my life," but his voice came out as a whisper. 

Chan could see the vulnerability and slight fear in Felix's eyes, of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He smiled teasingly, "so are you saying.....?"

"I'm saying," he leaned in closer, just barely brushing his lips against Chan's, "that when I saw you in the crowd today, looking as gorgeous as heaven itself and as professional as anything with your camera and all, that I don't think I'll ever run out of feelings for you. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of seeing your dimples or the way you huff out your little laughs or how strongly you'll stand to your values, I dont think I'll ever get tired of how you surprise me with flowers sometimes and how I fight you for the bill when we go out. I don't think I'll ever get tired of how forgetful you are about things either, or how bad your time management is. It's a small price to pay for such an amazing boyfriend."

Chan felt like his heart was going to explode. He and Felix were a very mushy, sentimental couple anyway but he'd never had Felix give him an entire speech on how much he appreciated him before. The smile on his face was so wide that his eyes had scrunched up, but the little twinkle they carried was still visible. 

"What I'm saying, Chan," Felix continued, his own heart pounding in his chest, "is that I love you." 

Chan's chest felt like an ocean, with emotions hammering against his ribcage like waves, Felix's words swimming through his heart and breathing a new sense of affection into his lungs. He pulled the man closer, making their smiles meet as his lips sealed the words that he had on his tongue. 

"And I love you, Lee Felix," Chan said as he pulled away ever so slightly, just breathing in the view of how pretty Felix looked against the purple sky and the twinkling golden lights of urban life in the background. 

"I love how your smile can make even my bad days brighter, I love how pretty you look in the morning without any makeup on, with your hair sticking in 12 different directions, I love the way you never seem to be able to make coffee right and how you once had to Google how to boil an egg." Felix laughed at that, leaning on his tippy toes to kiss the tip of Chan's nose. 

"And I even love you on your bad days, when you're stressed out and you curse at your laptop for being so slow, when you get mad at something or someone and you sit in a corner silently until you've calmed down enough to rant about it; we're not perfect people baby, but you're perfect enough for me."

"Channie," Felix's voice was soft, and touched. They could probably stand there on the roof spewing poetry for each other for the rest of the night, heck they could spew poetry for each other for the rest of their lives and not get tired of it. Chan was a hopeless romantic, Felix was too, but had never quite believed in soulmates or long term relationships after having seen so many of his friends and family end up unhappy or broken-hearted. 

Then he had met Chan, and everything had changed. All Felix had ever wanted was a kind, loving man, someone open minded and sweet and understanding, and he'd never found that all his life, until that one day at the coffee shop when a handsome stranger tried (and failed) to wink at him. 

There were no perfect people, this much both of them knew. But there's merit in knowing, because it makes you constantly strive to be better. Over the months that followed, their relationship worked so well because of the fact that neither one of them used their flaws as an excuse, whether towards each other or life in general. They worked on themselves, they accepted defeat, they listened, both to each other and to whatever constructive criticism came their way.

Their relationship worked because they'd left pride and ego behind a long time ago. They knew that all couples had fights, but theirs were rare, and never all that bad. Even after they moved in together, 2 months shy of their first anniversary, they were still as functional as ever. 

Sure, Chan would complain that Felix hadn't cleaned up the cobwebs in their room for a week now, or Felix would get huffy over the fact that Chan forgot to get the groceries (again), but these were things not worth fighting over. Felix apologized and explained he had a collection he was trying to finish, and promised to clean it up later, only to find that Chan already had. Chan would apologize over the fridge being close to empty (he had no excuse, he really was incredibly forgetful) and would run down to the store, only to return to the smell of pizza wafting through their apartment that Felix had ordered for dinner, knowing Chan would be too tired to cook. 

Their relationship worked because they understood each other; and despite the months and subsequent years that passed between them, they never stopped being kind to each other. 

They'd been together for two years now, and both of them had flourished immensely in their careers, finding a tiny niche of newfound fame as a 'power couple', the rising fashion designer and the talented photographer. 

It was like any old Sunday; Felix had stepped out for a bit for a grocery run in the early evening, and when he returned, the apartment was dark, save for fairy lights strewn across their living room and over the soft plush of a pillow fort that hadnt been there before he left.

Heart swelling in his chest, Felix left the grocery bags on a side table as he walked towards a cross legged Chan smiling up at him from inside the pillow fort, his arms outstretched for Felix to climb into. 

"What's this?" Felix beamed, his eyes sparkling like the fairy lights all over the room. 

"Well," Chan explained as he wrapped his arms around Felix as he cuddled up in his lap, placing a kiss atop his head. "You remember what you told me on our first date? That being wrapped up in a blanket in a pillow fort makes you feel safe and warm?"

Felix nodded, the flush of happiness buzzing through his body at how sweet and how thoughtful this little gesture was. 

"Well I know I'm not a blanket," Chan giggled as he rubbed the back of his neck, nervous like he was still on his first date, "but I hope it's good enough, and-" he shifted Felix a little bit in his lap for him to see what else was in the pillow fort, and Felix gasped, giggling slightly, thinking to himself that his boyfriend literally could not get any cuter. 

Laid out with them were two glasses of warm milk and a plate heaped with chocolate chip cookies. 

"Chan," Felix whispered, half certain that he was going to cry at some point tonight.

"You said it made you feel like home," came Chan's soft, slightly choked up, slightly wobbly voice from behind him. "You said my eyes gave you that same sort of feeling and well," Felix turned around to face him and with a gasp and a tiny sob, Felix really was crying now. 

"I'd like to be your home forever, Felix." 

He wasn't on one knee, because Felix was perched in his lap, but in his little sweater paws was a tiny little box, opened up to show a beautiful, diamond encrusted ring sitting against a bed of plush blue velvet. 

"Felix, will you marry me?"

Felix looked at the ring, then at Chan, his bottom lip trembling as Chan watched him with nervous, tear filled eyes.

"Yes, yes, oh my God it isn't even a question!" Felix cried, flinging his arms around Chan's neck and hugging him tighter than he ever had before. His mouth was muffled against Chan's hoodie and all Chan could hear was "Ah muvoo shh mudge"

"What?"

Felix pulled away and grabbed Chan's face, "I said I love you so much," he giggled, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend- no- his fiancé, as the happy tears rolled down their faces. 

When Felix finally pulled away and Chan unwound his tightly wrapped arms from around Felix's waist, he gently took his left hand and slipped the ring on his finger as Felix admired how the little diamonds glittered under the fairy lights. 

Amidst kisses and I love you's and cuddles and feet almost kicking over the glasses of milk, followed by shouts of "CAREFUL, THE MILK!" the happy couple sank into each other's company, giggling and laughing as Chan explained how he had been planning this for weeks and how he had hurriedly put together the pillow fort the moment Felix had left for groceries. 

They excitedly talked of their wedding, how they wanted it to be a small affair - they both loved the idea of an outdoor wedding and how pretty it would be to get married at sunset. Felix suddenly seemed to remember that he was a designer and could therefore design their wedding outfits and Chan pouted when he realised they'd have to HIRE a photographer. "I can just put the timer on, it'll be fine!"

"No Chan, you're not running around with a camera at our wedding. You can ask Binnie to handle the photography, he's pretty good too." 

"But I wanted him to be my best man!" 

There was so much on the horizon for them; a beautiful future, blossoming careers, the promise of each other's warmth and each other's love for eternity. Chan was glad that he'd stumbled into that little cafe years ago, he was glad that his flirting had been so atrocious that it had actually charmed the pretty blond boy who sat sketching in a corner. 

Felix was glad that they'd had such a messy, yet beautiful first date, one so totally natural that it left them hooked on the feeling for the days and weeks and months that followed. Their love was pure and adorably clumsy, playful when it needed to be and mature when it needed to be. 

Neither one of them would've exchanged this for the world. They were each other's home, each other's warmth and each other's safe place,

Each other's milk and cookies. 

~ The End ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh and it's over! :') kinda bittersweet because I loved writing this fic. 
> 
> I'm gonna do a spinoff of this, maybe a little series. We've already mentioned Binnie now so next up is going to be a little love story centred around him and (hmm I wonder whom?) 
> 
> In the meantime, check out my other fics if you liked this! In Love and War is another Chanlix fic with other side ships, and is a long ongoing royalty/fantasy AU with a lot of world building and plot. 
> 
> Chronicles of Crime is a mafia AU, nowhere close to being as soft and cute as this one is 😂 it's very rough, very violent, but angsty and full of plot twists too, so do check it out if you like! 
> 
> Until next time! ✌


End file.
